Protected: 2022 Ale Trail Brewery Submission
August 12, 2021
The fifth edition of the Tampa Bay Ale Trail is officially in production!
It’s such a satisfying feeling to be able to say that. So much goes into the making of this book every year and it could not be done without a dedicated few who help make it happen.
Our crew does a phenomenal job checking the data and editing these pages. It’s tedious work, and with so much information in such a small format, it’s inevitable that we make mistakes along the way. I’d particularly like to thank our Tampa Bay Beer Week Board members Elise Sweeney and Karla Rave for their scrutiny over these pages. Both do an exceptional job of catching even the smallest of typos that would otherwise be an embarrassing mistake. If you do happen to see a glaring error, forgive us and shoot a polite email to info@tbbw.beer.
It’s often asked why a particular brewery isn’t in the book, and the simple answer is that they probably chose not to be. Every brewery that participates does so voluntarily. We invite them each year and they update the stats you see on their page confirming their involvement. We try to stay on top of new brewery openings and invite all to participate. With so many in the Tampa Bay area however, it’s entirely possible for us to miss someone. Please know that it’s never our intention to snub any of them. And in most cases we are emailing, messaging through social media, and making phone calls to each. So if you have a favorite brewery that isn’t in here, the best thing you can do is let them know you’d like to see them in it next year.
New Key Icon
Last year, we added an icon for “Cider or Gluten Free Option Offered”. While editing the 2022 edition we noticed that of the 77 participating breweries, 75 had selected this as something they have available. Since this seems to be an almost universal offering, we decided to cut it from this edition. We have replaced it with an idea we think will have a lot more impact - an indicator of whether the brewery is in distribution, represented by an icon of someone pushing a keg on a handcart. We’ve always included local bars, restaurants, and taphouses that support craft beer in the pages of the Ale Trail. This addition stays true to our overall mission by alerting you that you could ask for this brewery at those establishments. Over 50 of the breweries in the Ale Trail have some form of distribution in the market. Now just like each brewery is unique, so is each distribution model. For many, this may mean a small number of core beers are available in the market, and for others a wide range of specialty or limited-release offerings might be available. Some may only distribute a few kegs to select retailers and some may distribute on a much wider scale. This icon isn’t intended to be a crown of distinction - that every brewery aims to do this, or that they haven’t made it until they do. One of the great joys of visiting local breweries is finding those gems that can only be found right there in front of you. Some breweries brew on such a small scale that distribution doesn’t work with their business plan and will likely never consider it, and others may be actively working towards it. We celebrate it all. In-house or in the market, we love craft beer. But for those that are currently in the market, this icon helps you identify the potential to support them beyond their walls. Engaging with your local establishments helps these brands more than you can imagine.
Challenge Coin Mystery
This year’s final prize, the specially designed 2022 challenge coin, celebrates the fifth edition of TBAT and the tenth anniversary of TBBW. Each face has a unique Roman numeral V and X representing each respectively, a motif you’ll recognize from the cover and our branding for the year. Hidden on the face of one side is a puzzle of sorts, a challenge or easter egg for you to solve. There’s no official prize for solving this, just a high five and bragging rights. We’ve removed that layer from this teaser image, so you’ll have to earn the coin in order to see it! Sorry, not sorry.
That's a Wrap!
As of this post, we have turned in the final proofs and appear to be on schedule for an early December release. Thank you to everyone who has supported us early. And if you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, no worries, we’ll keep the pre-sale live until books are in hand. That’s our way of thanking your for the trust that we will deliver in as timely a manner as possible. After that, the web-store will remain open 24/7 where you can purchase the books at full price throughout the year - that never changes. The end of pre-sale does not mean the end of web sales, just the end of the discount. Want to save? Grab them now! They make great gifts for the beer lovers in your life - bring them along with you on your hikes! Additionally, we have dozens of locations that have asked to be retailers of the 2022 Tampa Bay Ale Trail book. We will begin delivering to them near the end of December so they can begin selling as early in the new year as possible. A list of those locations will be on our website and a pinned social media post.
Thank you for joining us again, for making all of this possible, and we can’t wait to see you on the trail!
Chris Fairchild
